Sex and Social Justice

Martha C. Nussbaum

Writing with the rigorous argument and generous insight that characterizes all her work, Martha Nussbaum in these essays articulates a distinctive conception of feminism, one rooted in the liberal tradition of political thought but responsive to radical feminist critiques of this tradition.

Growing out of her years of work with an international development agency connected with the United Nations, the book charts a feminism that is deeply concerned with global justice and with the urgent needs of women who live in hunger and illiteracy, or under inherently unequal legal systems. Nussbaum contends that the liberal tradition holds rich resources for addressing these problems provided it transforms itself by responsiveness to feminist arguments concerning the social shaping of preferences and institutions. Nussbaum also takes on the pursuit of social justice in the sexual sphere, dedicating several chapters to the issue of equal rights for lesbians and gay men. Further chapters consider the feminist concept of objectification and argue for the importance of sympathy and mercy within a feminist conception of justice. Clear, timely, and accessible, these essays, extensively revised where previously published, make available to a wide audience the incisive political reflections of one of our most important living philosophers.

Sex and Social Justice

Martha C. Nussbaum

Description

What does it mean to respect the dignity of a human being? What sort of support do human capacities demand from the world, and how should we think about this support when we encounter differences of gender or sexuality? How should we think about each other across divisions that a legacy of injustice has created? In Sex and Social Justice, Martha Nussbaum delves into these questions and emerges with a distinctive conception of feminism that links feminist inquiry closely to the important progress that has been made during the past few decades in articulating theories of both national and global justice.

Growing out of Nussbaum's years of work with an international development agency connected with the United Nations, this collection charts a feminism that is deeply concerned with the urgent needs of women who live in hunger and illiteracy, or under unequal legal systems. Offering an internationalism informed by development economics and empirical detail, many essays take their start from the experiences of women in developing countries. Nussbaum argues for a universal account of human capacity and need, while emphasizing the essential role of knowledge of local circumstance. Further chapters take on the pursuit of social justice in the sexual sphere, exploring the issue of equal rights for lesbians and gay men.

Nussbaum's arguments are shaped by her work on Aristotle and the Stoics and by the modern liberal thinkers Kant and Mill. She contends that the liberal tradition of political thought holds rich resources for addressing violations of human dignity on the grounds of sex or sexuality, provided the tradition transforms itself by responsiveness to arguments concerning the social shaping of preferences and desires. She challenges liberalism to extend its tradition of equal concern to women, always keeping both agency and choice as goals. With great perception, she combines her radical feminist critique of sex relations with an interest in the possibilities of trust, sympathy, and understanding.

Sex and Social Justice will interest a wide readership because of the public importance of the topics Nussbaum addresses and the generous insight she shows in dealing with these issues. Brought together for this timely collection, these essays, extensively revised where previously published, offer incisive political reflections by one of our most important living philosophers.

Sex and Social Justice

Martha C. Nussbaum

Author Information

Martha Nussbaum is Ernst Freund Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago. Among her many publications is Love's Knowledge: Essays on Philosophy and Literature (OUP 1990).

Sex and Social Justice

Martha C. Nussbaum

Reviews and Awards

"Nussbaum is a voice of good sense and goodwill, and a reminder, for those who need it, that sex is the scene of some of the worst injustices in the world."--Thomas Nagel, The New Republic

"An admirably objective and insightful work on gender inequality....With its remarkable scholarship and comprehensive research, this work is both the ultimate primer on, and a major advance in, feminist thought."--Publishers Weekly

"A stunning defense of justice....A brilliant book."--Kirkus Reviews

"Essential for women's studies collections."--Library Journal

"Animated by an acute moral sensibility, at once level-headed and erudite, open and committed, literate and concrete, Sex and Social Justice gives us this philosopher for our time at her engaged luminous scintillating best."--Catharine A. MacKinnon, Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School